Of the three new Nokia smartphones unveiled at MWC 2017 (plus the rebooted Nokia 3310), the Nokia 5 sits most awkwardly, sandwiched as it is between the better-equipped Nokia 6 and eye-catchingly cheap Nokia 3.
It’s not because it’s a bad phone, but more that its bigger brother doesn't cost that much more, so it would be easy to chuck in the few extra bucks for the 6 – or if you’re really looking to save the pennies could be better off with the 3.
Don't discount it just yet though. The Nokia 5 comes with a 5.2-inch HD display, Snapdragon 430 chipset, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, 13MP rear camera, 8MP front camera, fingerprint scanner and a 3,000mAh battery.
It’s work mentioning that this phone isn’t made by Nokia. The iconic firm still exists, but it has licensed its name for use on phones and tablets to a Finnish startup called HMD Global, which in partnership with Chinese manufacturer Foxconn, is building and selling the Nokia 5 and its siblings.
Nokia 5 price and release date
- SIM-free price: £179.99 (around $200, AU$275)
- Available in UK from August 16, India from August 15
The Nokia 5 price is £179.99 (around $200, AU$275), making it an affordable smartphone. For that you get an HD display, full metal body and an octa-core processor, which isn't bad at all.
It means it’s comfortably cheaper than the £219.99 Nokia 6, while still providing a viable option for those who aren’t wooed by the £119.99 Nokia 3.
You’ll be able to get the Nokia 5 in the UK from August 16, with the phone being sold in a wide range of stores including Carphone Warehouse, EE, Argos, Tesco, Virgin, Amazon.
Meanwhile the Nokia 5 release date in India is set a day earlier, on August 15, where the handset will cost you Rs 12,899.
We’re currently still waiting to hear about the Nokia 5’s availability in the US and Australia, but we will update this review as soon as we get the information from HMD Global.
Design and display
- Premium all-metal body feels makes the Nokia 5 feel more expensive
- 720p HD display is a good allround offering, if a little dull
The compact form factor of the Nokia 5 is something which may sway prospective buyers towards it, and away from the bigger Nokia 6.
It’s a more ergonomic design, with the curved edges nestling comfortably into the palm, and you can reach anywhere on screen with your thumb.
Crafted from a single block of 6000-series aluminum, the Nokia 5 has a surprisingly premium construction for a phone with such a low price tag. It feels like a more expensive phone when you pick it up, and that’s great.
Another bonus of the Nokia 5 is the presence of a fingerprint scanner below the screen, which also doubles as the home navigation key. Digit readers tend to be reserved for pricier devices, so it’s good to see the tech filtering down the tiers, and especially to a device as cheap as the Nokia 5.
You’ll can pick the Nokia 5 up in four different colors: copper, black, silver and blue.
The 720p HD display is bright and clear, giving you a good level of detail for images and text alike. You can comfortably read emails, watch videos and enjoy gaming sessions on the 1280 x 720 screen.
It’s not overly vibrant when it comes to color reproduction, and if you put this LCD panel next to an AMOLED screen you’ll notice it’s duller to the eye.
In isolation though, and considering the price you’re paying, it’s hard to knock the screen on the Nokia 5 too much.
Nokia 5 interface and performance
The Nokia 5 runs the stock version of Google’s Android 7 Nougat operating system, which means you don’t get an invasive manufacturer interface over the top, or any annoying bloatware applications pre-installed.
It gives you a clean, fresh slate to start from, and heading to the Play Store you can make sure the Nokia 5 only has the apps you want.
There’s an octa-core Snapdragon 430 chipset – the same as in the Nokia 6 – and 2GB of RAM to keep things running nicely on-screen, and we found performance to be pretty snappy during our time with the 5.
You get 16GB of internal storage, but that can be built on with a microSD card up to 128GB in size, which means you’ll have plenty of room for all your apps, games, photos and videos.
In some regions the Nokia 5 will arrive with three card slots, allowing for two SIM cards and a microSD card at the same time, giving users greater flexibility.
Nokia 5 battery and camera
The Nokia 5 comes with a sizable 3,000mAh non-removable battery which should keep you going for most of a day, but we’ll put this to the test when we get it in for full review.
There’s some good-looking specs in the camera department, with the Nokia 5 packing a 13MP rear snapper and 8MP wide-angle option on the front.
The handset we got hands-on with wasn’t running final software, but early signs are promising, with good-quality pictures showing plenty of detail.
Early verdict
The Nokia 5 finds itself in a somewhat tricky position through no fault of its own. For the price it seems to offer an excellent selection of features, but it’s surrounded by equally capable handsets above and below it.
If you can stretch your budget just a little bit to the Nokia 6 you’ll be getting bit more bang for your buck, while going the other way the insanely cheap Nokia 3 will attract bargain hunters.
Nokia says it wants its phones to appeal to different people, and there will be some who find that the Nokia 5 suits them perfectly – we just expect the 3 and 6 to ultimately be more popular.
MWC (Mobile World Congress) is the world's largest exhibition for the mobile industry, stuffed full of the newest phones, tablets, wearables and more. TechRadar is reporting live from Barcelona all week to bring you the very latest from the show floor. Head to our dedicated MWC 2017 hub to see all the new releases, along with TechRadar's world-class analysis and buying advice about your next phone.
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